a tale about hairballs, kittens and brothers
by kao-nyh
Summary: His uncle is always busy with work, his mother constantly away leaving her only child Fili at home. And as Fili explores the mines by himself, he meets a black haired kitten, that just won't leave him. (contains a bit of everything, rated T for upcoming development)
1. Chapter 1

This is something like a tale. I wanted to write this yesterday and I just did it. I don't know how long it will get, but at least I have a slight idea, how it will end :)

* * *

„Uncle, can we keep that cat?" Fili asked in his high childish voice.

Thorin glanced above some papers he had to read and he writhed with disgust, as he saw that filthy little thing in his nephews arms. "No."

„Why not?"

„I hate cats. And it's filthy."

„But this one saved my life," the twelve-year-old dwarf replied, cuddling the black kitten which quietly purred.

Thorin glanced at him again. Surely, his nephew got some nerves. He would always come up with another story just to get some attention. Dís would say, that he was lonely as a lonely child without a father, but Thorin really doubted that. In his eyes his nephew was a little crybaby that showed nothing of the pride of the heirs of Durin. And he would always come up with ridiculous stories, so that he got some of his or his mothers attention. The only one who would listen to him was Dori. But he was away doing some business for Thorin with the miners in the east of the Ered Luin. "Than I'm thankful to that cat, but you can't keep it."

"But it even can talk. If you would listen to him, than..."

"Stop that bubbling, Fili."

"But he can really talk!" the little dwarf said.

"I said stop it! Grow up. Cats do not talk. It is just your imagination." Thorin really got a headache. He pressed his hand against his forehead and rubbed his fingers on his skin to lessen the pain.

"But if you would listen, than you could hear him say somethin'."

"Fili!" he yelled. "Stop that already. At first: cats don't talk. And second: get out of here and let me work. I have business to do and finish this before sundown."

"But..."

"And third: no buts anymore. You understand me?" He looked really angry above his table and Fili avoided his gaze.

"Yes, uncle," he whispered, pressing the kitten against his chest and leaving his uncle's room. Before he reached the door, he turned back and said. "I'm sorry for the disturb." Than he moved into the floor, closed the door behind him and then he run to the front door leaving the Halls.

.xxXxx.

Six hours ago:

A hot wind blazed from the mountains into the valley of the dwarfs around the Halls of Thorin, the heir of Durin, king under the mountain, king of Erebor. It was so hot, that Fili only wore light linen pants and a short shirt. His long blond hair was tied up in a tail, so that his face was at least free and wouldn't soaked with his sweat.

Fili was bored, nobody had the time to play or to teach him, even if he disliked history lessons with Dori (he preferred sword lessons with Balin and Dwalin), he would have loved to be with someone, who cared leastwise a little bit about him. As usual his mother wasn't home, because she went to another village with Balin doing some trading. She would never take him with her, because she said, he was too troublesome. Fili would always run away. But Fili didn't run away, he just explored. He wanted to know about his whereabouts, their neighbors and even about the villages and the mountains around him. He just wanted to have variety of his boring and most lonely daily routine.

That was why he decided to explore the mines not far from his home today just for fun, too. As soon as his mother left the house he sneaked out, and ran up to the mines, that were watched by some dwarfen warriors. But Fili knew them.

"You again, lad?" said one of the guards.

"Yes. You let me in?"

"Pay attention, young one. It's dangerous. I've heard that some dwarfs mentioned a broken tunnel."

"Thank you."

"Does your uncle know, you're here? He'll beat me to death if something happened to you."

"He knows," Fili lied and passed the guard._ And even if he knew, Thorin wouldn't care. He was just too busy and he didn't... well... cared much about him._

"Hey, Fili!" the guard called. "Who is this fellow? Is it yours?"

The young dwarf turned and saw a dark stray cat with green eyes. It looked like it wanted to follow him.

"No. I don't know him," said Fili still looking at the cat.

"Him?"

"Uhm, it's male, isn't it?"

"How should I know?" the guard asked. "Well, take care."

It was just a small mine with seams of silver, copper and malachite, but sometimes they found a few gram of the best mithril, that was worth a week of hard work. He often wondered, why Thorin hadn't ordered to build an underground city like Moria, but then Balin explained, that the rocks around the mine wasn't that steady to allow such buildings.

He chose the empty path through the mine, that he knew, would lead him to an underground waterfall. He loved that place and he loved the sunlight that would shine trough a small spot between the rocks. The cat was still behind him. Fili didn't mind. He somehow enjoyed the company.

It was quite a way left, when the ground began to rumble and to bluster. Stones and small rocks were falling in his way, dust everywhere blocking Filis sight. He coughed terribly and his heart was beating fast, his whole body trembling of fear. Than he turned and knew, there was no way back. It was blocked from a thick wall of rocks and stones. The few light, that was illuminating the tunnel, came from some blue mushrooms, that gave the Ered Luin his name, the Blue Mountains. Well, at least Fili found, that this was a great explanation.

The kitty mewed low-voiced behind him and Fili turned. "You fine?" The dwarf asked his fuzzy companion.

The cat didn't answer, of course not! He was just looking at the dusted dwarf and then as if he knew, what he had forgotten, he licked his left leg.

Fili sighed. Kittens! Fili looked around and strained his ears. No sound from behind the stony wall of rocks. "Well, lets look for another way out of here, Kitty. I guess it will take to long to get the stones out of the way and I even didn't know if someone will look for us in this area. No one uses it anymore."

And if the cat understood him, he got up and followed the dwarf trough the tunnels. Fili plucked some of the mushrooms to light his way. He found emptied small halls and even a small streamlet he and the kitty could drink out of his cupped hands. He never has been in this area of the mines before, he had found a way, he already knew, but than he saw, that this tunnel was blocked, too. He couldn't get to the waterfalls.

It took him hours to realize, there was no way out. All ways were blocked. He grew hungry and to his surprise the Kitten wasn't at his side anymore. He was left alone again, standing in a small limestone cave. He sat down on one of the stones and watched how the water was dripping from the dripstone column. It would have been quite interesting, if he wasn't in danger to die on hunger and maybe loneliness. But well, his uncle wouldn't even know if Fili wasn't in his room in the evening, because he came home late everyday so that the young dwarf had to make supper for himself, eat alone and was in bed without any adult telling him. His mother would come home in a couple of days, when she had finished business. The guard, who knew he was here, had come off duty, and if he didn't tell the on duty guard that he was exploring the mines again, then there would be no reason on looking in the mines for Fili. So there really was a chance that he might be forgotten. He got scared and he felt that his eyes were getting wet.

Green eyes were shining in the dark and a small kitten came out of the dark. It tossed a bat before Kili's feet and looked at him in joyful anticipation.

Fili patted softly the kittens fur. "Good boy," he said. "Even if I don't eat bats."

"I do not like them either," said the cat.

"Yeah, there have no meat... wait! What?!" Fili jumped to his feet, staring at the cat. "Did you just... did you just _talk_?"

The cat smiled, but didn't answer.

The young dwarf shook his head. He must have misheard, cats didn't talk. He looked around and was well aware that maybe someone made a joke and would come out just to surprise and rescue him. But no one came.

"My imagination," he murmured and sat down again. The cat hadn't moved an inch. He seemed relaxed and not even the slightest bit worried. "It's great to be a cat, isn't it? At least you won't starve."

The kitten chuckled. "Is this all you can think of? Eating?"

Fili jumped to his feet again. "You can really talk!" he shouted pointing his finger on his companion. "You just talked!"

The kittens ears turned to him. Fili got his full attention. "But maybe you're just fantasizing, little dwarf," the cat said calmly.

"No, I'm not!"

"Fine. Than do you want to get out of here? I followed the bats and found a way out, I guess. But it's really small. I don't know if it will fit your size."

"I could make me fit."

The kitten chuckled again. "We will see."

It was strange for Fili to see a cat using his mouth as it was a dwarf, human or an elf. It looked really strange, when the kitten talked to him like a usual humanoid, and the whiskers also he decided not to care too much, as long as he got out of here.

The black cat lead the way through the cave into a tunnel, then followed an underground river to a smaller cave. He then stood in front of a wall Fili was sure was a dead-end.

"You have to climb up there."

"Where to?"

"Don't you see the small entrance? Behind this there is a natural tunnel the bats use to leave the caves."

"I can't see. Wait." Fili tossed one of the mushrooms to where he thought the opening was. "It's really high."

"I'm sure, you can do it," the kitten said.

"By the way, why are you able to speak?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm a magic cat like in the stories I heard from dwarfen tales."

"I've never heard of it." He frowned.

"Than never mind." The kitten jumped and climb the wall as if he would do nothing else than this. This movement revealed his strong muscles under the dark hair that appeared a little blue in the light of the mushrooms. He looked really gorgeous.

Fili followed him slowly and uneasy, but the kitten comforted him with words, told him where he had to grab the rock and where to move his foot. The bats path was really small. Fili's shoulders were scraping painfully on the walls as he moved his body. The kitten took one of the mushrooms in her mouth and lead the way. Fili could hear the bats screams and got scared again. The kitten moved slowly so that the young dwarf could follow, and than they reached a bigger cave where a small ray of light was shining through the ceiling.

The kitten moved his nose in several directions. "I can smell grass and flowers. Follow me!" He jumped from the ledge to the ground and Fili did the same. He didn't try to wonder why this kitten talked and helped him. He couldn't care less.

Soon they found an opening that would fit Fili's size and then they breathed fresh air as they walked out of the small passageway. It was late afternoon and Fili could clearly see the roofs of the village.

"You're home," said the cat scratching his ears.

"Yes." But it didn't feel alike.

"Than why are you not going?"

"No one is waiting anyway. It doesn't matter if I go now or in two hours."

"But you were hungry just an hour ago."

"I'm not that hungry anymore. But where is your home, lil' Kitty? I haven't seen you before in the village."

The kitten looked at him softly. "I have no home. I'm a stray cat. You've heard the guard."

Fili's face brightened up. "Than come with me! I'm always alone. I have no friends and the adults don't care about me."

The kitten sighed and rubbed his head on Fili's leg. "Only if you have some fish. I love fish!"

"You're welcome!" Said Fili and laughed the first time in several weeks.

.xxXxx.

"So what now, your uncle don't want me to stay by your side."

"I don't care. I just have to hide you in the morning and maybe mom will allow me to take care of you."

"You sure, you want to betray your uncle like that?" the kitten asked from the desk in Fili's room.

"It's no betrayal. It's just, well, hiding."

The kitten didn't answer. "I accept your offering," he said in a majestic way raising to his feet and jumping to Fili's bed, where he was sitting. Fili cuddled his new friend and then hold him at arm's length. "You stink," said Fili.

"You, too," answered the kitten in his majestic behavior, looking down on him with this green-brown eyes. "By the way, you're rude. I have feelings, too, you know?"

"I'm sorry. Will you except my apology, lil' Kitty?"

"I'll think about it," said the kitten. "Put me down now."

"No, we're going to take a bath."

"We... what?!" the cat moved in his hands, trying to get free. He didn't look majestic at all as he began to fidget like a fish. "I hate water! Don't do this!"

"Oh, common. You can't sleep in my bed when you're that dirty!" Fili snapped, heading to the bathroom. "Your fur is black, isn't it? But it looks brown and gray, too. There's mud everywhere and you really smell of something I can't even name."

"That comes out of a dwarfen mouth," the cat snapped.

"You can't sleep with me if you didn't take a bath!"

"I'm fine. I'll sleep somewhere else."

"No, you're sleeping in my bed. We're friends now," Fili claimed, shutting the door of the bathroom.

The kitten gloom about his words and then sighed. "You may wash me with warm water, little dwarf."

Fili laughed again and hugged the kitten, who didn't seem to mind at all even if his words where a little harsh.

Soon the dwarf brought hot water from the kitchen and mixed it with cold water and dipped the paw of the kitten into the bathtub.

"You okay with that?"

"I'm fine."

Fili got himself and the kitten into the bathtub and enjoyed the pissed of face of his fuzzy companion.

"I hate water," the kitten mumbled letting Fili wash his fur. "Not in the ears!" He shook his head and Fili ducked to not get splashed.

"I'm sorry!" But soon he saw that the kitten closed his eyes and enjoyed being washed with warm water.

As soon they got out the cat licked his whole body and sat down with Fili at the fireplace in the living room.

.xxXxx.

"Hm, you need a name, lil' Kitty," Fili said, watching the cat licking his soft paw. "I can't call you kitty all the time. You need a strong name like... uhm... Melengar or Gronk."

"Seriously?" the kitten replied looking not really convinced. He held his paw in the air and stopped that licking. "You want to name me Gronk? Am I looking like an orc?"

"What? You don't like it? Than tell me, what you would like to be called?"

He moved his whiskers as if he would smell something nice. "Oh, fish," said the kitten turning his head in the direction he smelled it. "It's salmon!"

"Oh, common, Kitty, stay here."

"Than choose a name now. I want to eat fish!" the cat answered jumping of a small fence and looking Fili into his weary eyes.

"I don't know. I like Kitty, to be honest, and I would like to have a connection between our names. And your really small, that's why it has to be something with lil' and Fili and Kitten."

"Then how about Fililki or Lilkili?" asked the kitten.

"It's too long. I can't call you that."

"Than just Kili?"

"Fili and Kili?" said the boy looking as if he was thinking hard, than his face lightened up. "Yeah, it's good. Your name will be Kili, is that okay?"

"Sure," said Kili the cat. "You're my only friend and only you will use this name. Besides you chose this name from your heart, so I'll gladly accept it." The cat moved his head to Fili just to get patted. "See ya," said Kili. "I have to get some of the salmon."

"Ok. Will you come home to me, when it's getting dark?"

"Of course, Fili. I'm yours." His green eyes blinked at him and then the kitten vanished behind the fence.

.xxXxx.

* * *

Ah, that's the first chapter. I hope you liked it, otherwise leave a comment or just praise me :3

Some chapter will follow in the next couple of days, I hope.


	2. Chapter 2

.xxXxx.

Thorin read the report again and looked at Dwalin, who set on his armchair in his kings study. "Orcs again?"

Dwalin just nodded and smoked his pipe, waiting for Thorin to continue his interrogation.

He just sighed. "They have come pretty near this time. Its only three days from our village."

"Yes, but there are dead now," Dwalin said. "I just wonder, what they want."

"Isn't it the same each time? Looting, murdering, pillaging. I do not care, I only want them dead." Thorin wasn't able nor in the mood to hide his hatred against the orcs, who killed his grandfather and took Moria under their control. Besides he hated their desperate need in killing people, regardless of whether their victims were humans, elves or dwarfs. He just hated this.

"I'm not that sure."

"Fine. Round up some soldiers or guards and investigate the area the fight took place. Maybe you'll find a reason for their raid."

"Understood. Who will train Fili meanwhile?"

Thorin breathed in and took some time to answer that question. "Maybe I'll train him."

"You really should," said Dwalin. "He's lonely."

"That is none of your business," he said coldly even if he knew Dwalin cared for him as well as for his nephew.

Someone knocked on his door, but didn't wait for the kings reply. "Your Majesty," the guard said. "I apologize for my sudden intrude, but I have something to report about your nephew."

Thorin got up this fast, that his chair fell to the ground. "What happened?" he snapped.

"Because of the collapse of the caves yesterday, we were looking for your nephew, but we didn't find him by now. I wanted to ask, if..."

"What are you bubbling about?" Thorin said harshly. "He's at home. I heard him this morning"

"That..."

"What?"

"I don't know if this is possible."

"Than tell me why?" He fixed his eye on that pitiful soldier, who wasn't sure if he should just run for his life or keep calm like a men. His king wasn't in the mood for everything it seemed, particularly when something was going on with his nephew.

"I saw him entering, but no one saw him leaving the mines, especially as everyone went to look for him."

Thorin took a sharp breath again. "So, you're saying, that Fili went to the mine yesterday and that he was buried in the tunnels and that you didn't find a trace on how he left the mine?"

The guard shook from terrible fear of his raging king. "Uhm, yes?"

"You have seen wrong."

"Uhm, that is impossible, I saw him going in."

"And I have forbidden him to go there ever again," said Thorin coldly.

The guard felt silent and looked at Dwalin in hope of support.

"You sure, it was him?" Dwalin asked.

"Uhm, yes."

"Than you may leave," the warrior said as he felt, that Thorin wouldn't say anything, till the guard had left.

"Excuse my intrude, your highness."

Dwalin waited until the guard left. "No one looks like Fili and no one would mistake him for somebody else."

"I know," Thorin answered sharply.

"He was dead lucky to get out of the mine. He could have died under tons of rocks."

"I know." His voice was a growl like this of a wolf. He was still thinking and suppressing the thought of his disobeying nephew. And than he remembered Fili's appearance the day before. He was incredibly dusty and he said he was saved... He flinched and turned to his comrade. "I have a word with him."

"If you wouldn't scare him that much, he may give you an answer."

"He's old enough to know my attention."

"He's only twelve."

"Old enough."

.xxXxx.

"Urgh, you're so yucky, Kili," Fili said writhing his body in disgust.

The cat sat next to something dark, round and wet and was cleaning his face after puking in Fili's bedroom. "You don't have to deal with so many hair and have no imagination, who long it takes to groom it everyday. So stop that moaning and groaning. I couldn't hold it anymore and I still feel sick." He stretched his tongue out and looked annoyed at his new friend.

"But it's right in front of my bed!"

"I could have puked _into_ your bed," the kitten said arrogantly not knowing why the little dwarf made such a fuss.

"Oh, common, Kili. Just give me a warning next time."

The cat glared at him and then nodded. "Fine. But I wonder what you want to do in these two seconds, when everything inside me just don't want nothing more than to see the sunshine again, crawling up my gullet like a boiling flood wave."

"Are you a poet or what?" answered Fili giggling,

"Ah, just shut-up," said the kitty annoyed. "You just don't know what it feels alike."

"Well, I do." He watched as the cat jumped on his bed and sat next to him, putting one paw on his leg. "At least I feel like one of your hairball," Fili said.

"Wet, warm and hairy?" The kitty made a reputable face, than his whiskers moved and then burst into laughing, shaking so hard it had fallen from bed, if not Fili hadn't caught him.

"No, unwanted."

The kitty stopped laughing and turned his head. One of his ears moved to the door.

"Fili!" shouted Thorin from the floor.

"Hide!" he whispered to his cat, which already vanished.

His uncle entered his room looking sharply at his nephew. "Tell me, where you've been yesterday?"

"Uhm..." A cold shiver ran through him as he recognized his uncles words. "To... to the mine?"

"And why did you disobey me? Do you think I gave orders just to make you angry?"

"Uhm, no... I wanted to..."

"I don't care what you wanted! Disobey me ever again and I'll punish you!"

"Ye... yes, uncle." He didn't dare to look at him.

Thorin narrowed his eyes to slits. "And how did you get out?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you yesterday," he replied awed. "The kitten showed me a way out. We followed a small tunnel the bats were using and then there was a cave and a much smaller passageway. We got out at the apple trees above the raven hill. But it's really tiny."

"That doesn't matter. It's a security gap. You should have told me," he said brusque.

"I tried," Fili replied softly.

"No, you were uttering nonsense about a talking cat. You know, that I don't wish to hear about something like that. There is nothing like that!"

"Than tell me, how would I have found the way out?" Fili said angrily and remembered what he just did. He started back and avoided Thorin's sharp gaze.

"Maybe you just remembered, that you're a dwarf. A dwarf lives in the mountains, he hears the whispers of the stones and has a feeling for streams of silver and gold."

Fili knew he shouldn't response and that there was no need for an answer, but he couldn't hold back. "So, I may hear of the whispers of some dead, odd stone but not listen to a living creature?"

Thorin rushed to his nephew, who sat there paralyzed by his uncles appearing. "You're a dwarf, no elvish fool nor a shot up druid, who ate some luminous mushrooms." He came even closer to Fili's face, that made his heart beating so fast and his face all red, that he couldn't even think to breathe. "And I tell you that: don't disobey my orders ever again. If not in accompany of a guard nor Dwalin or one of the others, you will never go to the mines again. Understood?"

Fili only nodded.

"And no word about this cat. I hope you banished that filthy rat." And as his nephew didn't replied Thorin knew that he had kept it. "Where is it?" he asked coldly. "I said, where is it?"

"It's gone."

"Really?" He glanced at his nephew, not sure, if he lied or not.

"Yeah."

"Fine. Stray cats only want your food anyways. They just don't need anything else except for a warm bed."

"Than its like me," Fili mumbled so quietly, Thorin wasn't sure if he really had said something.

"I'll send a guard. Show him the second passage way." He got up.

"Why don't you com...?" Fili began to ask but Thorin arrived at the door and looked back.

"Did you say something?"

"No."

His door closed and Fili felt the emptiness overflowing his heart. He already was inured of Thorin's cold behavior and his strict refusal of everything, that concerns Fili, but he hated it and he hated him, his own uncle.

"He's quite a handful," said Kili as he said next to his new friend, and as he saw, that Fili's eyes were filled with tears, he added. "So, to summarize, you're a wet, disgusting little, dark hairball, that wants food and a warm bed?"

Fili didn't replay, he moved his hands to wipe his dripping tears away.

"I guess, than we're brothers. At least in thoughts."

"I would rather have a brother in thoughts than this family," Fili replied. "They are never home and they are leaving food at the kitchen as if I were some random pet. They don't really care for me and they're treating me as if I were not their son or nephew but as a stranger."

"You wouldn't be good a cat. You're simply not gorgeous enough for a cat. Well, you don't have such great fur," he added arrogantly.

Fili sniffled and looked at that dark-haired kitten. "When I'm older I'll have a beard longer than your tail and I'll make braids. Than we'll see which fur or hair is more adorable."

"I will win," said the cat.

"What made you so sure about it?"

"My hair is as black as ebony."

"And?"

"That's it."

"Sometimes I really don't get you," Fili said, stretched and laid down on his bed.

The kitty laughed and got to Fili's belly, laid down, too, and soon after that fell asleep.

He just liked to be patted by this blond-haired dwarf. He felt, as if he had belonged to his side since he was born.

.xxXxx.

They were sitting in the sun, waiting for Doris appearance and his history lessons. The cat moved his head and had a good yawn.

"Hey Kili, where did you come from?"

He moved his head lazy and stretched his legs. "The mountains."

"That's pretty obvious, isn't it? We live in the mountains."

"Then why did you have to ask?"

"I wonder about you. You're still a cat and you can talk, you even smile. Can you imagine how creepy it looks sometimes?"

The kitten thought about it and nodded. "I remember you, when you tried to move on two feet and two hands. You looked like a stiff turtle with long legs. I can't tell you, how embarrassing that was. I hope that none of the other cats had seen this."

"You're changing the subject again," Fili replied stroking the cat against the fur.

Kili hissed slightly. "The world is full of magic and unbelievable things," Kili said. "There are dragons, speaking trees, wizards and dark powers, who want to subdue the world. I can't tell you, why I'm able to use your language, but you shouldn't be worried about this. It's just random magic, I guess. Maybe my mother ate some ents leaves or something like that."

"I'm not worried."

"Than, accept me as I am."

"I accept you, Kili. But I haven't seen magic before I met you."

"The history of Erebor is full of magic."

"How would you know?"

"Oh, I'm not sleeping in Doris lessons, unlike you."

"I do not sleep!"

"You're snoring like an old dog!"

"No, I don't. You're laughing again, Kitty, that's unfair."

"Having a little fight with your cat, lad?"

Fili turned and saw Dori, whose gray hair was in braids all over his head. He was really proud of it and it took him one hour to braid his long, gray hair and his beard. He smiled like usual and patted the head of the cat. He was the only one, who accepted Kili as Fili's companion and he even allowed this little fellow to attend his lessons.

"He said I'm sleeping in your lessons and that I'm snoring."

"Your cat is right. Or did you know, who had slayed Liarden? I told you yesterday."

"Uhm, who is that?"

Dori smiled at him again. "Common, laddie. It's time." The older dwarf, a pretty good fighter, leads the way into the cool air of a small study room with tables, comfortable chairs and books till the ceiling.

"Who is Liarden?"

"An orc king," Kili whispered back. "He was killed by Isayn."

"Really? Liarden is not really an orc name."

"What is it, lad?" Dori asked.

"Liarden has been an orc? The name doesn't sound like it would belong to this creature."

"You know who he was?"

"Yeah, K... uhm, the cat told me. He was defeated by Isayn."

Dori perked his eyebrows up in disbelieve. "He just told you?"

"Yes."

"I see. Good cat. At least one of you is paying attention. I hope that he will tell you, what I taught you in the afternoon. You're having a test tomorrow."

Fili moaned about these news.

.xxXxx.

"That's utter bollocks," Thorin said indignantly.

"He was at sleep, when I talked about this."

"Maybe he wasn't fully in his dreams," Thorin snapped.

"He really was, but this cat paid fully attention to what I said." Dori pulled out the test, to show him Fili's written answer, but Thorin refused to look.

"Did you ever hear this cat talk?" He raised an eyebrow and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Well, no," Dori answered. "But..."

"If you hear it talk, than come again. And don't let him sleep in your lessons. This kid must learn about our history and culture to understand his duty as an heir."

"I think he does pretty well, but he needs some support."

"He already has you, Dwalin and Balin."

"He needs his family."

"Dori, I don't want to discuss this matter with you. This is private," he said coldly.

.xxXxx.

_A black emptiness surrounded him. There was no warmth, nor cold. He felt no hunger, no thirst, no tiredness. He was just flying in an endless air of nothingness left alone with his thoughts and the whispers of unknown voices that appeared from time to time. They somehow touched his heart and his soul and then in these moments, he felt what it meant to be alive. _

_Well, he had been alive a long time ago and even if it had been just for a short while, he felt his own heartbeat. His memories from this time were blurred and unclear. He didn't know what happened long ago, but he remembered clouded faces, he had seen some kind of light and colors, felt tender touches and even lovely warm kisses. And than all this love and tenderness vanished and turned into a world of sorrow and pain. He had heard frantic screams, desperate sobs and sorrowful cries and suddenly there was nothing but darkness left. _

_It didn't scared him, not anymore. _

_Sure, he had yelled, called for help, not sure if anyone would hear those words or understand him, but no one answered. He was alone. The colors, touches and kisses never came back. Never. He had no clue, why he was left alone, what he had done wrong to deserve such a punishment. It hurt him deeply and turned his lonely heart into stone._

_He clung to this dreams of a forgotten and short life, tried to recall each picture, each word and each touch and used them in his own fantasies to distract himself from his lonesomeness. He curled up into a ball, feeling his own touches on his shoulder and back, feeling the comfort and a piece of lovely memory coming back for a few seconds, that would make his stone heart melt and beat faster. _

_What felt like weeks and months passing by was in this world meaningless. No movement, no progress, no company. All he could do, was waiting for that whispers to appear again. _

_And then _it_ emerged._

.xxXxx.

"What have I told you, lad? Where you even listening?" Dwalin asked a bit furious watching him carefully, as Fili picked up his wooden sword from the ground again. Dwalin didn't dare to count, how many times his student had dropped it during their fighting lesson in the last couple of minutes. But he supposed, that he couldn't concentrate at all, while this dwarf was watching. "Common, lad, move! Look at my feet. No, if you're holding your sword like this, it would be too easy for your opponent to whip it out of your hand. Fili! Tighten your grip. Concentrate! No, higher! I could kill you, if you'd do that on the battlefield. Watch out!" With a loud noise Fili fell to the dusty ground again. His face was wet of his own sweat and he breathed heavily. "Okay, take a rest, drink something and remember what you've done wrong."

Fili just nodded and moved into the shadows out of the sharp gaze of his uncle, who stood silently in the entrance of the hall.

The cat also waited silently unseen in the shadows. He watched, as his friend sat down and leaned on the cold wall. "You're making these mistakes over and over again. Aren't you a bit tired of this? What's wrong? You actually know how to react. I have seen you fighting with Dwalin several times before."

That was right. It has been three months since Kili arrived and Fili went on his little adventure in the mine. He had introduced his cat to his mother after she turned from her trip, but didn't tell her, that he could speak. She wouldn't believe it anyway and Kili didn't want to talk to anyone except to Fili. His mother wasn't very pleased with this little fellow but approved his existent in the household. She said, if he was catching mice, than he could stay. Thorin, who was living with them, discuss with her afterward, but couldn't change her opinion. Dís hated mice.

"So?" Kili asked as his friend didn't reply.

"Don't know," Fili answered drinking fresh water from the bottle, avoiding his uncle's sharp eyes. "Maybe I'm just tired."

"You slept well," Kili answered low-voiced well aware that the other two dwarfs may hear him. "You're fearing what your uncle could think of you, if you would make this step or wielded your sword over your head, that's why you fail just in the beginning of your movement. You're thinking too much about your uncle."

"No!" Fili snapped blushing and slamming his bottle to the ground, were it spilled some of the water. "It's not like this! I'm not afraid of him!"

"Calm down, Fili," the cat said. "If you're not afraid, than proof it. Fight Dwalin with all your might."

Fili glanced at him angrily and then looked away. "Not today. I'm not feeling well."

The cat chuckled. "Excuses. Nothing but excuses. But to tell you the truth, it's not just you fail those movements, but you also move as slow as a snail."

"I'm not a snail!"

"Of course, and if I were you, I would take advantage of your small size and Dwalin's lame right leg. He fell from a horse yesterday."

"Really?"

"You didn't even notice that?" the cat said arrogantly and looked at the older dwarfs who were watching Fili carefully.

"I guess... uhm, I'm sorry. Maybe you're right"

"Of course I am. So use your advantage in size and his small injury and defeat him."

Fili only nodded. He wasn't sure if just a few words would help him to defeat one of the best warriors in the Blue Mountains.

Thorin grumbled and kicked a stone as if it would reveal some stress. "It's that cat again, isn't it?"

"Why did you get angry about that little fellow? It's just a cat."

"I don't like how this filth is looking at me. It's too suspicious. And that... cat makes him look like an idiot. He is bubbling about a talking cat. I just don't get it. Why does he behave like this? He only speaks to himself."

"He's surrounded by adults, he has no friends in his age and the few kids that live here, are too afraid to be friends with him. They don't dare to come near you nor your nephew."

"What do you intend to say? It's my fault that he's imagining things?"

Dwalin pressed his lips together not sure if he should answer.

"Fili is the next and only one in line of being king. I won't allow any weaknesses, neither in mind nor in body."

"He's just a young boy."

"And he even can't hold a sword properly."

"You're not planning on taking him to a battlefield in the next couple of weeks, are you? So he has time to train, time in choosing his final weapons and special skills."

"No, Dwalin. You're taking it too easy. I'll show you, that you don't challenge his skills. He's in no need for that abilities and he won't make use of it." By saying these words Thorin took Dwalin's wooden sword and stepped out in the autumn sun.

Fili froze in shock as his uncle called him back to the training ground. Even the cat flinched, seeing his fighting strategies flying away like a freed bird.

"Now fight like a dwarf. I won't hold back." Thorin declared.

Fili stood trembling in front of him. He tried holding his sword while his uncle waved his sword at him without hesitation.

"I said, fight!" Thorin shouted angrily. "No, just react, no thinking! What was that? Balance! Argh, you..."

Fili fell on the floor panting and trembling of fear and fury. He hated his uncle so much! And he was fierce to beat his uncle even if that meant to play dirty tricks, but Thorin didn't let him. As soon as his nephew got on his feet again, he wielded his sword merciless by using his full strength and his long experience in combats. "No one cares if you're twelve or eighty," Thorin shouted. "If someone attacks you, he wants your dead! Don't hold back anymore!"

Fili felt into the dust again, feeling tears of frustration and anger filling his eyes. He spit the dust out and got up. It took no longer than two moves and he was beaten again, laying on his back while his uncle was looking down on him. He rolled over on all four legs

"You're fighting like an old human women," said Thorin with nothing more than disgust in his voice.

Fili clenched his fist unable to hold his tears anymore. He hated him so much, that he couldn't bear it anymore. Years of bullying came to his mind as his uncle continued speaking. "You're unable to hold a sword, you can't defend yourself and you can't even make a mêlée attack. What were you doing in your fighting lessons?" Answer!"

Fili didn't turned to him, as he brushed his tears away. "Training," he said low-voiced, trying to hide his hatred.

"Louder!"

"Training!" he now shouted back in wrath.

"I really doubt that. You're not worth being a Durin. You're not even worth being my..."

Fili turned this fast Thorin couldn't react properly. The little dwarf didn't took his weapon, but threw some dust in Thorin's eyes, yelling in rage and stroke at his guts, just to slide aside and to kick in his uncles back of the knee. Thorin swore angrily as he trembled, but then got a hold of himself reaching at Fili. His nephew instead made a dive roll to get his sword again and took another one, too, that was laying on the ground for another trainings exercise. Thorin attacked, Fili blocked him with both swords, ducked, twisted and aimed at Thorin's back, but failed. The older dwarf revolved, too, but didn't see the second sword coming that was aiming at Thorin's throat. Fili stopped. The strike would have killed his uncle if he had not stopped. Thorin froze in place as he realized his defeat and looked at his dirtied and heavy breathing nephew. He saw the fury in his eyes and some kind of bloodlust, that made him shudder.

Thorin kept his cool on the outside, nodded and took down his weapons.

"So two weapon fighting with two swords will be your special ability," he said still watching his little nephew who indeed surprised him. "From now on you will train with me. Everyday."

Fili stared in disbelief at his uncle, who gave him a short nod and passed bay.

"Good boy," Thorin whispered. "But my dagger would have killed you."

.xxXxx.

* * *

In the next chapter I'll reveal some secrets and maybe I'll tell you, where Dís and Balin were going. :3

Reviews are welcome and thank you for reading!

I forgot: next week I'm on archeological excavation, so I'm short of time to write the new chapter.

(Liarden and Isayn are fics. Sorry.)


End file.
